Born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 to pursue a career in country music. She broke into the country music scene with her eponymous self-titled debut studio album, Taylor Swift in 2006, which included the singles "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song". Swift also released the holiday album, Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, later titled as The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection in October 2007.
Swift rose to mainstream prominence with her sophomore studio album, Fearless (2008), a country pop record with crossover appeal. Aided by the top-five singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", Fearless was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Swift's third studio album, Speak Now (2010), blended country pop with elements of rock and featured the top-ten singles "Mine" and "Back to December".
Drawing inspiration from various pop, rock, and electronic genres, Swift's fourth studio album Red (2012) saw her transcending her country roots. She completely moved to pop with her synth-pop fifth studio album, 1989 (2014), and expanded the electropop sound on her next two studio albums, reputation (2017) and Lover (2019), which respectively embraced urban and retro styles. The four albums spawned a string of international top-five singles, including "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", "I Knew You Were Trouble", "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", "Bad Blood", "Look What You Made Me Do", "ME! (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco)", "You Need to Calm Down", and "Lover".
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift experimented with folk and alternative rock on her eighth and ninth studio albums, folklore and evermore (both 2020), whose lead singles "cardigan" and "willow" topped charts around the world. She also released the critically acclaimed documentaries Miss Americana and Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions that year. Swift's tenth studio album, Midnights (2022), marked her triumphant return to pop after two folk albums. The album set the record for biggest first day and first week ever on Spotify, spawned the hits Anti-Hero and Lavender Haze, and sold over 1.5 million copies in its first week becoming not only the biggest debut of the decade but also Swift's biggest debut ever. She would make history by becoming the first artist to occupy the entire top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 with tracks from Midnights. Following Midnights, Taylor Swift announced her upcoming eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department” (2024) which is set to be released on April 19, 2024. She announced this record at 66th Annual Grammy Award Show accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for her previous album, Midnights (2022) in honour of receiving her 13th Grammy.
Additionally, Swift began re-recording her back catalog in November 2020 as a result of a publicized dispute with talent manager Scooter Braun and her former label Big Machine, regarding the acquisition of the masters of her back catalog. In April 2021, Swift released a re-recorded issue of her 2008 album Fearless, titled Fearless (Taylor's Version). It debuted at number one in the US. Swift continued releasing re-recorded versions of her back catalog in November, 2021 with the release of Red (Taylor's Version), a 30 track re-issue of her 2012 critical smash. The album debuted at #1 in the US, spawned the #1 hit All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault), and broke the record at the time for biggest first day for a female album on Spotify. Red (Taylor's Version) was a critical and commercial hit, and proved that Swift's ambitious plan to re-record her first 6 albums was well worth it.
Along with the release of Red (Taylor's Version) came All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), Swift's filmmaking debut. The 15 minute romantic drama was based on the lyrical content from Swift's 2012 fan favorite "All Too Well" starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. It had a limited theatrical release in major cities, and Swift held special screenings of the film throughout 2022 at various film festivals. In December, 2022 Taylor announced that she would be making her feature directorial debut with Oscar-winning studio Searchlight Pictures.
Following the release of Midnights, Swift would embark on her first tour in five years, The Eras Tour.
Swift has released several songs for film soundtracks. She co-wrote two songs for the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack— "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" and "Crazier", and contributed two songs to the Valentine's Day soundtrack, including the single "Today Was a Fairytale", which was her first number one on the Canadian Hot 100, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. She also contributed two original songs to The Hunger Games soundtrack album: "Safe & Sound - from The Hunger Games Soundtrack", co-written and recorded with The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett, and "Eyes Open". "Safe & Sound" won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. In 2013, Swift recorded "Sweeter than Fiction", a song she wrote and produced with Jack Antonoff for the One Chance film soundtrack, which received a Best Original Song nomination at the 71st Golden Globe Awards. Swift and English singer Zayn Malik, mononymously known as Zayn, released a single together, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever", for the soundtrack of the film Fifty Shades Darker (2017). She also recorded an original song called "Beautiful Ghosts", which she wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber for the Cats's soundtrack (2019). In 2020, Swift's documentary Miss Americana featured the song "Only the Young" which was written after the 2018 United States elections. In 2022, she released an original song titled "Carolina" for Where The Crawdads Sing (2022) inspired by the novel written by Delia Owens.
With sales of over 200 million records worldwide, Swift is a best-selling music artist. Her accolades include 14 Grammy Awards, including four Album of the Year wins, which makes
Swift the artist with the most awards for that category in history, two Brit Awards (including a Global Icon award), an Emmy Award, 28 [https://guinnessworldrecords.com/]Guinness World Records, 32 American Music Awards (the most wins by an artist), and 23 Billboard Music Awards (the most wins by a woman). She ranked eighth on Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists Chart (2019) and was listed on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (2015). Swift has been included in various power rankings, such as Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world (2010, 2015 and 2019) and Forbes Celebrity 100 (placing first in 2016 and 2019). She was named Woman of the Decade (2010s) by Billboard, Artist of the Decade (2010s) by the American Music Awards, and Person of the Year (2023) by Time Magazine.
Taylor_Swfit_-_Forever_&_Always
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I believe it was a Tuesday when I caught your eye
We caught onto something
I hold onto the night
You looked me in the eye and told me you loved me
Were you just kidding?
'Cause it seems to me
I don't feel welcome anymore
Baby what happened, please tell me
'Cause one second it was perfect
Now you're halfway out the door
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when he said forever and always
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said forever and always
Was I out of line?
Did I say something way too honest
Made you run and hide like a scared little boy
I looked into your eyes
Thought I knew you for a minute
Now I'm not so sure
So here's to everything
Coming down to nothing
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core
Where is this going?
Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when he said forever and always
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said forever and always
You didn't mean it, baby
I don't think so, ohh
Oh, back up, baby, back up
Did you forget everything?
Back up, baby, back up
Did you forget everything?
'Cause it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said forever and always
Oh, I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And then you feel so low you can't feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when we said forever and always
And it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said forever and always
You didn't mean it, baby
You said forever and always, yeah
The song "Forever & Always" by Taylor Swift is a ballad about a breakup and the pain of realizing that the person you thought would be with you forever is no longer there. It starts off with the memory of when the relationship began, a happy time filled with promise and love. However, as the song progresses, the listener hears the heartbreak of someone who has been left behind. Taylor realizes that the relationship has changed, to the point where there is no communication anymore. She feels like she is no longer welcome there, and it's possible that she is being taken for granted. Taylor is portrayed as feeling small, insignificant, and abandoned. The chorus shows the pain of the broken relationship that she is dealing with, while she is left wondering if her partner meant it when he said they would be together forever and always.
The second verse delves deeper into the issues that arise in most relationships. She questions herself, wondering if she was too honest and scared her partner away, suggesting the cause of the split was trust. It's clear that the split has caused Taylor to question everything she thought she knew about her partner. She is left feeling like there are no more answers, and she doesn't know how they got to this point. The lyrics hit a note of sadness, even despair, as she relates the pain of feeling like someone she loved may be lost to her forever.
Overall, this song relates the painful experience of realizing that a once-promising relationship has fallen apart. The slow, mournful tone emphasizes the sadness and pain that Taylor is feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time
In the past, at an unspecified time
I believe it was a Tuesday when I caught your eye
I think it was a Tuesday when we first noticed each other
We caught onto something
We had a strong connection
I hold onto the night
I want to keep the memories of that night alive
You looked me in the eye and told me you loved me
You expressed your love for me through words and eye contact
Were you just kidding?
Did you say it jokingly or insincerely?
'Cause it seems to me
Based on my observations and feelings
This thing is breaking down, we almost never speak
Our relationship is falling apart, we hardly ever communicate
I don't feel welcome anymore
I don't feel wanted or accepted in this relationship
Baby what happened, please tell me
Could you explain what went wrong?
'Cause one second it was perfect
It used to be great, but things changed suddenly
Now you're halfway out the door
You're close to leaving this relationship
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
I keep looking at my phone, waiting for you to call, but you haven't
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all
You feel so sad and hopeless that you become numb
And you flashback to when he said forever and always
You remember when you both promised to be together forever
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
The atmosphere is gloomy and everything feels terrible
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
The sadness and gloominess persist whether you're here or not
'Cause I was there when you said forever and always
I was there when we made that promise
Was I out of line?
Did I do something wrong or inappropriate?
Did I say something way too honest
Did I speak too frankly or openly?
Made you run and hide like a scared little boy
You reacted like a frightened child and avoided the situation
I looked into your eyes
I made eye contact with you
Thought I knew you for a minute
I believed I understood you and your intentions for a little while
Now I'm not so sure
But now I'm uncertain of what you meant and how you feel
So here's to everything
Here's to all the ups and downs
Coming down to nothing
Ending up with nothing
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core
Here's to the silence that deeply hurts me
Where is this going?
What direction is this relationship heading?
Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore
I had an idea of where we were headed, but now I don't know
You didn't mean it, baby
You didn't truly mean what you said or promised
I don't think so, ohh
I doubt that you sincerely meant it
Oh, back up, baby, back up
Hold on, slow down
Did you forget everything?
Did you forget all the good times and memories we shared?
'Cause it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
The atmosphere is depressing and everything feels terrible
And you flashback to when you said forever and always
You remember when you promised to love each other forever
You said forever and always, yeah
You made a vow to be together for eternity
Contributed by Gavin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cami Berloffe
Once upon a time, I believe it was a Tuesday when I caught your eye
And we caught onto something
I hold onto the night, you looked me in the eye and told me you loved me
Were you just kidding?
'Cause it seems to me, this thing is breaking down
We almost never speak
I don't feel welcome anymore
Baby what happened? Please tell me
'Cause one second it was perfect, now you're halfway out the door
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when he said, "Forever and always"
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom
Everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said, "Forever and always"
Was I out of line?
Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide
Like a scared little boy
I looked into your eyes
Thought I knew you for a minute, now I'm not so sure
So here's to everything coming down to nothing
Here's to silence, that cuts me to the core
Where is this going? Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when he said, "Forever and always"
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom
Everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said, "Forever and always"
You didn't mean it baby, I don't think so
Oh back up, baby, back up
Did you forget everything?
Back up, baby, back up
Did you forget everything?
'Cause it rains in your bedroom
Everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said, "Forever and always"
Oh, I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when we said, "Forever and always"
And it rains in your bedroom
Everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
'Cause I was there when you said, "Forever and always"
You didn't mean it baby,
You said, "Forever and always", yeah.
Seri Nurshira
this album... feels like a hug to my 13 year old self. she was struggling with body image and self esteem, worried about her future, figuring out her likes and dislikes. looking back, i’m just super proud of how she turns out. she lived through her ups and downs. *pats back*
Seri Nurshira
@i like books sending you lots of love! you will figure it all out eventually, so embrace life as it goes 🙆♀️
i like books
i can’t wait to be able to say this when i’m older, i struggle with all of these things right now and i’m thirteen lol, and i’m struggling with my breakup with my first ever boyfriend who liked all his girl best friends more than he liked me… hopefully i’ll be able to look back at this time proud too
Seri Nurshira
@Mahveen Usman you will be okay ❤️
Mahveen Usman
I am 13 😞
Emma Panzica
Glad you figured it all out! ❤️🙏🏻
Diya Roy
This song can very easily be a part of Folklore and Evermore.
agustina!!
totally agree
Cuppie Cupsters
True, true👍
Diya Roy
@ileana godinez I totally imagined that!!!